Silvicultural Production as a Basis for Continuity of Forest Management

Abstract

Currently, the principle of sustainable use of forests is a fundamental direction in the management of natural resources. Solving the problems of sustainable development of forestry in the European North involves ensuring the quality reproduction of forest resources. The main parts of silvicultural production are procurement and preparation of seeds; growing planting stock, creation of new stands and agricultural tending of them. The goal of the federal project “Forest Conservation” is to ensure the balance of forest felling and reproduction in the ratio of 100 % by 2024. The emphasis is on the use of ball-rooted planting stock for artificial reforestation. Information gap on the long-term prospects of its use, as well as the lack of data on the results of long-term observations of growth and condition of forest crops created by seedlings with a lump of substrate, and comparison of such seedlings with traditional planting stock, especially in northern conditions, update the topic of research. The research purpose is to identify conditions for obtaining high-quality planting stock, as well as to assess the possibility of successful restoration of pine on felling sites in the north of the European part of Russia by creating forest crops using regional intensive technologies, based on the results of long-term technologies. The main objects of observations are nurseries of the region, the procedures used in them and the experimental planting of pine trees in the Kargopol and Arkhangelsk forestries in 2000–2001. Preservation, diameter, height, and volume were determined in dynamics in the areas of crops created from various types of planting stock (seedlings, plantlet, ball-rooted planting stock). The counts were carried out with several repetitions and dividing plants into healthy, weak and dry. Wood flaws of pine trunks were also noted and natural regeneration was recorded. Based on the research materials, the possibility of successful restoration of pine trees on felling sites in the north of the European part of Russia is shown using regional intensive technologies for the production of various planting stock and the creation of forest crops. This will reduce the period of transfer of young trees to natural conditions and increase the productivity of plantations. Comparison of average diameters and heights for all accounting periods indicates the influence of the type of planting stock and density of planting on the growth and development of trees. During the observation period, plantlets lead in all respects. Their height and diameter is 20–44 % higher than that of yearling seedlings, and in terms of stem volume the difference with other types of planting stock reaches 1.9–2.9 times.